The coastal waters west of Santa Maria and Guadalupe are special, scientifically speaking. They’re defined by the Point Sal headland, a rugged coastline with access only via a strenuous 11-mile round-trip hike. Though the waters are pristine on top, a biodiverse habitat is active beneath the surface. Cliffs running east to west create a protected…
Within the next few years, hundreds of Lompoc students will reap the benefits of a new gymnasium, library, and kitchen at Manzanita Public Charter School. The first of three phases began in June as contractors prepared the site. Construction is expected to take three years. Lompoc Unified School District owns and operates the charter school’s…
While alleging that a third-party mediator abused his authority, a local mobile home park owner appealed to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors to overturn the ruling in an arbitration case. Following an eight-hour, in-person hearing in early 2026 and opportunities for written rebuttal, arbitrator John Derrick deemed $24 as an appropriate rent increase…
No matter how often any given Buellton resident flushes their toilet, the monthly, fixed sewer rate for a single-family home increased by 95 percent between fiscal years 2025 and 2026—from a flat fee of $30.45 to $58.96. July 1 marked the beginning of the next chapter in Buellton’s five-year plan to improve its wastewater reserve…
•U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-California) recently secured $375,000 and $1 million in federal investments for the city of Lompoc and the city of Atascadero, respectively. Both investments support local emergency preparedness projects designed to protect against the threat of wildfires and prepare for other natural disasters. While the Lompoc funds will go toward the installation…
Plant aheadVisit centralcoastcactus.org for more info on the Central Coast Cactus and Succulent Society. The nonprofit’s 18th annual show and sale will take place at Nipomo High School on Saturday, July 18, and Sunday, July 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., respectively. Nipomo High School is located at…
When new ownership and management started making changes to their mobile home park’s policies and rent, residents of Del Cielo Mobile Estates in Orcutt spoke up. First, they went to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors with their concerns about the park becoming an all-ages community, and the board made changes to local policy. …
In yet another generational skirmish, Generation Z is now characterizing us boomers as “angry” for unreasonably resisting their demands that we shuffle off to the graveyard and bequeath them our homes and assets. Perhaps they are just confusing the term “angry” with the word “no,” which they are apparently just now hearing for the first…
Thank you, California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild and Attorney General Rob Bonta, for announcing the state’s intent to sue over the Trump administration’s offshore wind lease buybacks. It’s no secret that California needs more electricity. Diablo Canyon will not operate forever. We have a great opportunity to tap a new renewable and clean energy…
When the opportunity arose for five Central Coast rockers to perform at Los Angeles’ Whisky a Go Go earlier this year, sound check fell just a few weeks after the band’s youngest member celebrated her 21st birthday. Orcutt local Milania Jubilee was 20 when she became Faultline’s lead vocalist in 2025, after wowing her bandmates—four…
Prolific pianist and Allan Hancock College faculty member Adea Badivuku is joining one of her longtime collaborators for a July 8 performance at Carnegie Hall in New York. Earlier this year, Badivuku and Santa Barbara-based violinist and composer Deniz Caglarcan performed as a duo at New York’s Golden Classical Music Awards Competition, where they won…
As part of its next Music at the Library program, the Santa Maria Philharmonic Society will present an intimate afternoon of music performed by featured artist Suri Kim, on Saturday, Aug. 1, at 3 p.m., at Shepherd Hall in the Santa Maria Public Library. Admission to the concert is free. The Music at the Library…
Directed by Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl; Fright Night; I, Tonya; Cruella) from Ana Nogueira’s feature-length debut screenplay, this “girl saving girls” sisterhood story takes aim at patriarchy and sort of hits its mark. Produced by James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad, Superman), Gillespie and Nogueira adopt his irreverence, campy…
Maternal InstinctWhat’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2026 Where’s it showing? Netflix Oh boy, this one’s a doozy. I remember this story popping up back in 2020. I’m sure other true crime junkies will too. Reagan Simmons was a mom-to-be, just a month away from welcoming daughter Braxlynn into the world. Her joy turned to tragedy…
Biting into a piece of Figure Ate’s biltong for the first time was unlike any other kind of meat stick Kyle Sullivan had ever tasted. “The tenderness of the beef really blew me away,” Sullivan told the Sun. “It just has almost like a melt-in-your-mouth texture to it, which is really awesome.” To infinityFigure Ate…
The StrawberryWhat’s it rated? Not rated When? 2026 Where’s it showing? Bay Theatre of Morro Bay, Monday, July 6 (VIP doors at 4:30, general admission doors at 5, screening at 5:30 p.m.; tickets at my805tix.com) Directed by Cambria brothers Carlos and Kyle Plummer, and written by Cambria clinical psychologist Steve Brody, The Strawberry stars veteran…
